I'm no authority of Eva either, but the intended takeaway of the series is the exact opposite of what you're saying.
A core lesson in evangelion is that pain, misunderstandings, confusion, insecurity, and anger are all important aspects of being human. Confronting these feelings and making peace with the fact that sorrow is as valid a human emotion as joy is what will make you content in this world.
Instrumentality was alluring specifically because it "fixed" the sources of dissatisfaction. It fixed insecurity. It fixed anger. It fixed loneliness. But in actuality, the zero sum nature of instrumentality means that, in order to remove negative emotions, you also remove the positive ones too. It means sacrificing all individual feelings for absolute contentedness.
This is what Shinji had to confront when instrumentality began. And instead of running from his problems like he and others did throughout the show, both literally and figuratively, he confronted them. He accepted what he had to do to live a fulfilling, albeit tumultuous, life. Which is why he and Asuka appear on the shore. Of all humanity, they were the first to make peace with the nature of their existence and resurface as individuals.
booontybox t1_ixuvfs0 wrote
Reply to comment by PM_YOUR_BOOBS_PLS_ in The General Zapped an Angel, Karel Thole, Oils, 1970 by Ok_Ganache_6570
I'm no authority of Eva either, but the intended takeaway of the series is the exact opposite of what you're saying.
A core lesson in evangelion is that pain, misunderstandings, confusion, insecurity, and anger are all important aspects of being human. Confronting these feelings and making peace with the fact that sorrow is as valid a human emotion as joy is what will make you content in this world.
Instrumentality was alluring specifically because it "fixed" the sources of dissatisfaction. It fixed insecurity. It fixed anger. It fixed loneliness. But in actuality, the zero sum nature of instrumentality means that, in order to remove negative emotions, you also remove the positive ones too. It means sacrificing all individual feelings for absolute contentedness.
This is what Shinji had to confront when instrumentality began. And instead of running from his problems like he and others did throughout the show, both literally and figuratively, he confronted them. He accepted what he had to do to live a fulfilling, albeit tumultuous, life. Which is why he and Asuka appear on the shore. Of all humanity, they were the first to make peace with the nature of their existence and resurface as individuals.